Fighting Fate
by Lifespassion
Summary: There is so much more that goes on in New Salem than we actually get to see. He loves her more than she will ever admit, and despite fate wanting to pull them apart Nick and Cassie are coming closer and closer together. Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a fanfic about Nick and Cassie, because I love them both.**

**Authors corner- Hello everyone, if this is your first time reading any of my stuff know that I like to include outside media, quotes and song references and I also like to do and 'authors corner' that's what I'm doing right now...its basically notes on the story or whatever.**

Fighting Fate

By Lifespassion

Chapter One: The Question

Rated M-for future sensuality, _though I have no idea how desc. it will get._

***

**FYI-the first section in italics is copied directly from the text of the book, on the off chance you couldn't tell :)  
(I never realized how short she wrote her paragraphs)**

_The day before Halloween she walked up to Nick's garage again._

_The skeleton-car looked just the same. Its entire engine was out, resting on a sort of bottomless table made of pipes. Nick was underneath the table._

_Cassie knew better than to ask him what he was doing this time. She saw him see her feet, saw his gaze travel up. Then he scooted out from under the table and stood up._

_His hair was spiky with sweat, and he wiped his forehead with the back of a greast hand. He didn't say anything, just stood there looking at her._

_Cassie didn't give herself time to think. Focusing all her attention on an oil stain on his T-shirt, she said rapidly "Are you going to the Halloween dance tomorrow?"_

_There was along, long silence. Cassie stared at the oil stain while Nick stared at her face. She could smell the rubber and warm metal as well as grease and a faint hint of gasoline. She felt as if she were hanging suspended in air._

_Then Nick said "No."_

_Everything came crashing down. Cassie felt it, and for some reason she was suddenly able to look Nick in the face._

_"Oh," she said flatly. Oh, stupid, stupid, she was thinking. The new Cassie was as dumb as the old one. She should never have come here._

_"I don't see why you want to know in the first place," Nick said. Then he added, "It's got something to do with Conant, doesn't it?"_

_Cassie tensed. "Adam? What are you talking about? What could my asking you to a dance have to do with Adam?" she said, but she could feel the blood rise to her face._

_Nick was nodding, "I thought so. You've really got it bad. And you don't want him to know, so you're looking for a substitute right? Or are you trying to make him jealous?"_

_Cassie's face was burning now, but hotter than the flame of rage and humilliation inside her. She wouldn't cry in front of Nick. She wouldn't._

_"Sorry for bothering you," she said, abd, feeling stiff and sore, she turned around to walk away._

_"Wait a minute," Nick said. Cassie went on walking and reached the golden October sunlight. Her eyes were fixed on the fading scarlet leaves of a red maple across the street._

_"Wait," Nick said again, closer. He'd followed her out. "What time do you want me to pick you up?" he said._

_Cassie turned around and stared at him._

_God, he was handsome, but so cold...even now he looked completely dispassionate, indifferent. The sun caught blue glints of his dark hair, and his face was like a perfectly carved ice sculpture._

_"I don't want to go with you anymore," Cassie told him bleakly, and started away again._

_He moved in front of her, blocking her way without touching her. "I'm sorry I said the thing about trying yo make Conant jelous. That was just..." He stopped and shrugged. "I didn't mean it. I don't know what's going on, and its none of my buisnes, anyway. But I'd like to go to the dance with you"_

_I'm hallusinating, Cassie thought, I've got to be/ I thought I just heard Nick apologize...and then say he'd liketo go with me. I must have a fever._

_"So what time do you want me to pick you up?" Nick said again._

_Cassie was having trouble breathing, so her voice was faint. "Um, about eight would be fine. We're all changing into our cosumes at Suzan's house."_

_"Okay. I'll see you there."_

_***_

**(okay now we get to the point where I write-it will most likely be this way, alternating from text to me and back and forth from chapter to chapter I just think that there is so much more to the story, but of course I love the book just as it is.)**

-

Nick watched Cassie walk away, and then went back over to his car. He started to work on it and then realized that any attempt at focusing at this point was futile.

He knew that he hadn't shown what he was feeling, he was usually pretty good at keeping those things inside.

"Dammit." He his fist down on the hood and it made a slight dent. He would have to fix that later.

Nick sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. There was really nothing he could do. He walking into the house and went strait up the stairs to his room.

Nick's room was located at the top of the house. It was more of an attic than an actual room, but he wasn't complaining. The room was big enough to suit his needs, in fact it was almost a full other floor ontop of the house. The floors were hardwood and polished. He had gotten down on his hands and knees himself to polish them. Despite his harth outword look, Nick actually sincerely enjoyed working. Whether it was on his car or on his floor, he liked working with his hands. He didn't mind putting hours and hours into something because he loved to see the difference after the work was done.

Flopping down on his king-sized bed Nick let out a whooshing breath of air. What was he going to do? He couldn't get Cassie out of his mind.

Sure, Nick, like any other teenage guy, had thought about girls. Had, had times when one girl or another would get stuck in his head for long periods of time. He had even had a run in with Faye-which had been brief and gritty. Somehow this was different. She impressed him which was something new.

There was definitely something about her.

***

On the actual day of Halloween Cassie couldn't not close her eyes without Nick's face jumping to her mind. She was still in shock that he had actually agreed to go with her. More importantly, he had said that he wanted to go with her.

It all seemed to surreal.

She headed over to Suzan's in the late afternoon. The girls all enjoyed dinner, pizza, together before changing into their outfits...

***

Nick looked in the mirror.

It was a Halloween dance.

Nick didn't do costumes.

He had been pacing around his room all night. He was so filled with...angst. It was a somewhat new feeling to be concerned over whether or not someone actually liked the way you looked when you showed up as their date.

Nick knew that Cassie would like to see him get dressed up. He grimaced slightly as he pictured her reaction to Adam's outfit. He was sure she would love it. Which made him want to put something on, but as soon as he started to think about changing he would throw away the idea. Since when did he change for anyone. Let alone a girl, and over something as stupid as clothing.

He looked as his reflection. Every girl would look at him and think him handsome. That had never mattered. Yes, it had been useful, but his beauty had been just as much of a nusance over the years as a blessing.

Then Nick thought of the way Cassie had looked at the last dance.

She had been stunning, absolutely stunning. And it wasn't just the make-up, or the herbs and magic. It wasn't all that. He had been able to look through that on every other girl, every other witch, but not with Cassie. She had taken his breath away.

He had dreamt about her ever since, a pale flowing goddess whom he longed to hold in his arms.

But she had eyes for Adam...

Nick grunted and grabbed his keys.

***

**That is all for chapter one. I hope that you liked it, please let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2

Fighting Fate

By Lifespassion

Chapter Two: The Dance

Rated M-for future sensuality, _though I have no idea how desc. it will get._

**FYI-the first section in italics is copied directly from the text of the book, on the off chance you couldn't tell :)**

**Sorry it took so long for me to get around to updating this story, but I promice that I will be much more consistant from here on in .Enjoy and let me know what you think :)**

**000  
**

_on Halloween night, in Suzan's Greek Revival house, the girls of Crowhaven Road prepared themselves. This night was different that the evening if the Homecoming Dance. For one thing, Cassie knew what she was doing now. Suzan had taught her how to do her own makeup, in exchange for Cassie helping Suzan with her costume._

_They'd all taken baths with fresh sage leaves; Laurel's orders, for enhancing their psychic powers. Cassie had also washed in milk of roses-rosewater and oil of sweet almonds-for softening her skin and to smell nice. Cassie's grandmother had helped her plan and make her costume, which consisted mainly of panels of thin gauze._

_When she was finished that night, Cassie looking Suzan's mirror and saw a girl slender as a candle flame, dressed in something like mist, with an elusive, glancing beauty. The girl had fair like smoky topaz curling around a delicate face, and as Cassie watched, rosy shadows bloomed on her pale skin._

_she looked soft and touchable and sensuous, but that was alright because she would be with Nick. Cassie dabbed perfume behind her ears- not magnet oil but simply attar or roses-and tossed her scented hair back. Well, there was a certain wistfulness in the girl's wildflower-blue eyes, but that couldn't be helped. Nothing was going to cure that, ever._

** (I know I am skipping a bit of detail and smooshing stuff together but if you want the whole story than read the book)**

When Cassie came downstairs the first and only thing she saw was Adam, and Nick could see it. It hurt him, more than he would ever tell, that she so openly adored him.

He could barely breath when she walked down the stairs. She looked like a wisp of air. A beautiful wisp, flowing down the stairs with almost as much grace as Diana-but despite Diana's unearthly beauty Nick only had eyes for Cassie.

'If you were vying for attention then you should have dressed up' Nick silently chastised himself.

"And just what are you supposed to be, Nick? The man in black?" asked Faye.

Nick fought back the urge to say something malicious and simply stated.

"I am supposed to be _her_ date," he said calmly and held his hand out to Cassie who accepted his hand finally looking at his face. He offered her a small smile and lead her out to the Armstrong car.

It was hard for Nick to keep his eyes on the road, he kept wanting to look at Cassie. She seemed completely oblivious to his glances. She was looking out the window as if she were a thousand miles away.

When they got to the gym Nick eyed the decorations with wry amusement and a little disgust. It was so cheesy. Not to mention the fact that he hated the witches hanging on broomsticks from the ceiling.

000

_"You know what happens tonight?" a voice murmured, breath warm on Cassie's neck._

_Cassie said, "What, Faye?" without turning around._

_"Well, the coven leaders who represent the goddess and the horned god have to make an alliance. They have to…" Faye paused delicately. "..merge, shall we say? To represesnt the union of male and female principals."_

_"You mean they…?"_

_"It can be done symbolically," Faye said blandly. "but somehow I don't think Adam and Diana will be satisfied with symbolism, do you?"_

_Cassie stood petrified. her heart was going like a trip-hammer, but that wss only part of her capable of motion._

_Adam and Diana…_

000

Cassie turned and nearly plowed Nick over. He was holding on to two glasses of punch and barely managed not to spill them on anything, himself included. He would have said something but she ran right past him. Leaving him standing there with Faye.

"What the hell did you say to her?" he demanded.

"nothing," she smiled. "Just the fact that Adam and Diana have to perform the union ceremony tonight. I suggested that they might be doing it the old fashioned way." Her smile was so sweet it was un nerving and sent a creepy chill across Nick's skin. His jaw tightened.

"You know Faye, sometimes I find it hard to believe that I ever actually went out with you."

"Oh come now, Nick. We all know why you did," she stroked a hand down his chest. Nick tipped the cup of punch slightly letting it spill onto her arm.

She pulled back and practically hissed at him.

"Have fun dancing Faye." Nick said faking politeness. Then he walked away. He had intended to stop at a table and set the drinks down, instead he just kept walking. He needed a breath of fresh air. He walked right outside and into the night. He knew that he could get back into the dance, on way or another and he would, just not now.

He took a deep breath of the cool air and closed his eyes. He could care less whether Adam and Diana had sex. What he cared about was the fact that Cassie was clearly so distraught over it. He leaned up against the wall and looked up at the night sky.

000

Nick was nowhere is sight when Cassie came back into the gym. So she danced with Sean. Other guys began crowding around. As soon as the song ended she saw Nick and rushed over to him. He didn't ask her why she had rushed off. she didn't know that he already knew. She didn't ask him where he had been. He was her date, but she still felt like it was none of her business.

They danced for a few dances and he didn't try to kiss her, even though that was the only thing on his mind.

000

**Thats all for now folks. I hope that you like it so far Let me know. sorry it took so long to update.**


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